Definition & source
Annual ACS survey estimate, not July 1 Population Estimates Program count.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B01003West Des Moines
Stats
The newest city labor, housing and development figures, with source dates.
2025 ACS · one-year estimate
Released October 29, 2026West Des Moines population
September 2026 · city residents
Released October 28, 2026West Des Moines at a glance
Monthly labor market · preliminary · not seasonally adjusted
Definition & source
Residence-based monthly LAUS estimate, not jobs located in the city. Unemployed means jobless and actively seeking/available for work, not everyone without a job.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics — IowaDefinition & source
Residence-based monthly LAUS estimate, not jobs located in the city. Unemployed means jobless and actively seeking/available for work, not everyone without a job.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics — IowaDefinition & source
Residence-based monthly LAUS estimate, not jobs located in the city. Unemployed means jobless and actively seeking/available for work, not everyone without a job.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics — IowaDefinition & source
Residence-based monthly LAUS estimate, not jobs located in the city. Unemployed means jobless and actively seeking/available for work, not everyone without a job.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics — IowaEmployed residents may work anywhere. These are not counts of jobs located inside the city.
Monthly history & definitions
Residence-based BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Changes are subject to revision; compare the same month across years rather than assuming seasonal changes are growth.
| Month | Unemployment | Employed | Labor force |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 · preliminary | 3.0% | 42,792 | 44,106 |
| 2026-08 | 3.4% | 43,142 | 44,648 |
| 2026-07 | 3.0% | 43,663 | 44,995 |
| 2026-06 | 2.8% | 43,818 | 45,074 |
| 2026-05 | 2.5% | 43,615 | 44,720 |
| 2026-04 | 2.3% | 43,601 | 44,607 |
| 2026-03 | 2.7% | 43,234 | 44,430 |
| 2026-02 | 2.8% | 43,198 | 44,461 |
| 2026-01 | 2.9% | 43,116 | 44,421 |
| 2025-12 | 2.8% | 43,604 | 44,877 |
| 2025-11 | 3.1% | 43,967 | 45,363 |
| 2025-10 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2025-09 | 2.9% | 43,526 | 44,836 |
| 2025-08 | 3.4% | 43,769 | 45,325 |
| 2025-07 | 3.4% | 43,611 | 45,140 |
| 2025-06 | 3.2% | 43,741 | 45,202 |
| 2025-05 | 2.9% | 43,280 | 44,575 |
| 2025-04 | 2.6% | 43,193 | 44,354 |
| 2025-03 | 2.9% | 42,794 | 44,093 |
| 2025-02 | 3.0% | 42,965 | 44,286 |
| 2025-01 | 3.1% | 42,837 | 44,197 |
2025 ACS · one-year estimates
Released October 29, 2026Income, homes & residents
Definition & source
Household income in past 12 months, in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B19013Definition & source
Survey-reported owner-occupied housing value; not current sale price.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B25077Definition & source
Cash-rent households; includes rent and applicable utilities, not asking rent.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B25064Income is in 2025 dollars. Home value and gross rent are survey measures, not current asking prices.
Housing counts & survey scope
Definition & source
All housing units, occupied and vacant.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B25001Definition & source
Occupied units; also the household count.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B25002Definition & source
All survey-classified vacant units; not available apartment inventory or commercial vacancy.
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 ACS 1-year, B25002The ACS annual population estimate is a different series from the Census July 1 estimate. One-year estimates should not be compared with older five-year estimates as measured annual growth.
Travel time to work · 2025 survey
Workers age 16+ who did not work from home. 34,653 estimated workers (± 3,118). All margins of error are 90% confidence.
| Travel time | Workers | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 minutes | 1,386 | ± 891 |
| 5 to 9 minutes | 4,591 | ± 1,546 |
| 10 to 14 minutes | 6,037 | ± 1,726 |
| 15 to 19 minutes | 9,564 | ± 1,890 |
| 20 to 24 minutes | 6,769 | ± 1,662 |
| 25 to 29 minutes | 2,238 | ± 894 |
| 30 to 34 minutes | 2,378 | ± 1,183 |
| 35 to 39 minutes | 123 | ± 140 |
| 40 to 44 minutes | 125 | ± 209 |
| 45 to 59 minutes | 256 | ± 255 |
| 60 to 89 minutes | 556 | ± 534 |
| 90 or more minutes | 630 | ± 642 |
Calendar 2025 · official city report
Report published in 2026Development activity
Definition & source
Total valuation reported for building permits in 2025.
Permit valuation is not property-tax valuation, economic output, or proof of completed investment.
City of West Des Moines — 2025 Community and Economic Development Annual Report & Development Retrospective · page 6Definition & source
Number of development agreements approved during 2025.
Approvals are not project completions.
City of West Des Moines — 2025 Community and Economic Development Annual Report & Development Retrospective · page 6Definition & source
Reported combined count of urban renewal plans created or amended in 2025.
Do not interpret as 13 new urban renewal districts.
City of West Des Moines — 2025 Community and Economic Development Annual Report & Development Retrospective · page 6Definition & source
PIF and RCF funding awarded in 2025.
Award amount, not verified disbursements. PIF=Property Improvement Fund; RCF=Regulatory Compliance Fund.
City of West Des Moines — 2025 Community and Economic Development Annual Report & Development Retrospective · page 6Definition & source
Projects awarded combined PIF/RCF support in 2025.
Paired with funding total; not all development projects in the city.
City of West Des Moines — 2025 Community and Economic Development Annual Report & Development Retrospective · page 6Permit valuations, approvals and funding awards describe different activities. They are not combined into an investment or completion total.
Selected project measures
Documented project inventorySelected records across different milestone years—not total city supply or a forecast.
4 documented components
1 documented component
2 documented components
Historical employment detail2023 Census primary-job data · industries, work locations and trends
A historical structural view, not a current employment count. Source years remain attached to every chart.
Jobs & work locations
2023 Census primary-job estimates
Home & work connections
2023 primary jobsJob-location connections—not measured daily journeys or commuting routes.
Where city jobs connect
67,051- Live and work in West Des Moines
- 10,461
- Held by residents outside the city
- 56,590
Where resident-held jobs are located
34,763- Live and work in West Des Moines
- 10,461
- Located outside the city
- 24,302
Industry profile
20 industry groups67,051 primary jobs located in the city · 2023
| Industry | Primary jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 21,696 | 32.36% |
| Retail trade | 7,790 | 11.62% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6,758 | 10.08% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 6,166 | 9.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,512 | 6.73% |
| Administrative/support and waste management/remediation | 3,791 | 5.65% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3,337 | 4.98% |
| Educational services | 2,423 | 3.61% |
| Information | 2,035 | 3.04% |
| Construction | 1,938 | 2.89% |
| Manufacturing | 1,524 | 2.27% |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,410 | 2.1% |
| Real estate, rental and leasing | 1,173 | 1.75% |
| Wholesale trade | 859 | 1.28% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 692 | 1.03% |
| Public administration | 577 | 0.86% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 298 | 0.44% |
| Utilities | 43 | 0.06% |
| Mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction | 26 | 0.04% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 0.0% |
Workplace jobs across three years
Selected historical years · same Census release and geography.
201961,172 61,172
202264,735 64,735
202367,051 67,051
Where people holding city jobs live
2023 primary-job connections · 67,051 total
| Place | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines city, IA | 12,953 | 19.32% |
| West Des Moines city, IA | 10,461 | 15.6% |
| Outside an incorporated place / census-designated place (Iowa) | 7,148 | 10.66% |
| Urbandale city, IA | 4,504 | 6.72% |
| Ankeny city, IA | 3,609 | 5.38% |
| Waukee city, IA | 3,111 | 4.64% |
| Clive city, IA | 2,051 | 3.06% |
| Johnston city, IA | 1,822 | 2.72% |
| Grimes city, IA | 1,532 | 2.28% |
| Norwalk city, IA | 1,325 | 1.98% |
| All other locations | 18,535 | 27.64% |
Where residents’ jobs are located
2023 primary-job connections · 34,763 total
| Place | Jobs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| West Des Moines city, IA | 10,461 | 30.09% |
| Des Moines city, IA | 9,396 | 27.03% |
| Urbandale city, IA | 2,595 | 7.46% |
| Clive city, IA | 1,411 | 4.06% |
| Ankeny city, IA | 1,301 | 3.74% |
| Outside an incorporated place / census-designated place (Iowa) | 1,087 | 3.13% |
| Johnston city, IA | 884 | 2.54% |
| Waukee city, IA | 851 | 2.45% |
| Ames city, IA | 703 | 2.02% |
| Grimes city, IA | 545 | 1.57% |
| All other locations | 5,529 | 15.9% |
Monthly job earnings
2023 nominal job earnings—not household income or an annual salary estimate.
| Monthly earnings | Jobs in city | Resident-held jobs |
|---|---|---|
| $1,250 per month or less | 9,233 | 4,498 |
| $1,251–$3,333 per month | 12,499 | 6,810 |
| More than $3,333 per month | 45,319 | 23,455 |
Sources, geography & definitions
U.S. Census Bureau LEHD, LODES 8.4, primary jobs (JT01). Highest-earning beginning-of-quarter job for each covered worker. City totals use the official West Des Moines place crosswalk (1983910), 943 Census 2020 blocks and the release’s 2024 geography.
These are administrative employment estimates, not a current headcount or traffic count. Coverage excludes self-employment and other uncovered work; Alaska and Michigan workplace data are absent from this 2023 release. Disclosure-avoidance methods apply. Confidence intervals are not provided.
The three historical years use the same release and place crosswalk. Industry, earnings and location tables reconcile to the appropriate workplace or resident-held total. Do not combine these denominators with ACS households or population.
Earlier Census household context2020–2024 ACS five-year estimates and July 2025 population estimate
Citywide context
Earlier Census context
These Census measures describe the whole city, not individual neighborhoods.
Homes & households
2020–2024 ACSCitywide estimates. Home value covers owner-occupied homes; gross rent is not current asking rent. Degree attainment covers adults 25+, labor force covers ages 16+.
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